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Archive 2017 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

IrishDino
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

My wife and I have been shooting weddings together since 2012. I've been the primary shooter with everything in my name, and my wife has been the assistant "plus" who takes care of setting up family formals (etc) and can second shoot in a pinch.

We're expecting our first child in November and to be quite honest, I have no idea how it will impact our business.

I've been thinking about hiring a second shooter to tag along for weddings. I've been thinking about dropping the kid off at his grandparents for 4 hours while we tackle the ceremony and family formals. I've considered ceasing all bookings. I thought about rebranding and removing any mention of my wife from my website and just becoming a solo shooter for small weddings only.

Has anyone gone though something similar and care to share? How did a newborn impact your business?

Oct 02, 2017 at 09:21 AM

jmraso
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

First off, congratulations !
Then, yeah a second would be the answer, also grands are "meant" to take care of the new kids in the family for working reasons and more, at least that is what I will do for my son.
Ceasing booking when you are about to becone a father ?, I would say it is the other way round, at least for you, the father.

Good luck !

Oct 02, 2017 at 09:43 AM

FrancisK7
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

First of all, sincerest congratulations! There is so much happiness about to arrive in your life you just can't imagine yet.

I went through this exactly a year ago.

Jess and I started going out in 2012 shortly after my rebranding and we have been shooting weddings ever since together. I am full time, she still has a 35h/week job with Fridays off.

We had our son in July last year right in the middle of high season, so I had her replaced for the whole season. That replacement still shoots with us and will probably lead her own team in a year or two.

This year was the first working year as parents and the work-family reconciliation was not always easy.

Not easy as in tiring at times. But with good planning it has gone really, really smoothly. We still have four weddings to go, I admit I am very tired and looking forward to November but the sheer joy of being a father far, far outshines any added stress your child may bring in your life.

I can't over emphasize that communication and constant re-adjustments are necessary.

We're expecting our second next April. Jess just entered the second trimester, and she's starting a new job in a week (she is a career counselor in the school district full time and finishing her master's degree part time on top of everything). Much better pay, conditions, etc. but no more Friday off. She started saying it was too much. I immediately decided to pull the plug on the next four weddings for her and I'll have her replaced. I contacted all four couples already. All of them replied within the hour saying they understood completely and wished her well. They know this will not affect their souvenirs and photos. When we're booking 2018 weddings we're advising Jess may not be there just to be transparent.

Sometimes Jess only shows up for prep, ceremony and a bit of reception and leaves early while I finish the evening with the assistant, and sometimes even alone.

These are the kind of small adjustments you will have to make.

We are lucky to have an incredible network of help and babysitters so it makes going away every Saturday of the Summer easier to organize (and to bare). Grand-parents, aunts, uncles and cousins are lining up to babysit.

Depending on your support network and how often you shoot you may have to restructure the business model a bit. And some habits.

But it's all very much worth it.

http://www.fk7photo.com/fm/william1an/FK7_4644.jpg

Edited on Oct 05, 2017 at 09:41 PM · View previous versions

Oct 02, 2017 at 10:24 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Congrats! It really is a personal question and plan as you may, some things have a way of not going like planned. I ended up leaving wedding photography completely because I was missing way too many weekends with my daughter. My wife didn't shoot with me and was able to take care of my kid while I shot weddings. But that wasn't the issue. For me the issue was missing my kid's swim meets, hanging out, etc. Of course, with a newborn, he/she won't be in school for years so you will get to see the child during the week. But as they get older, school kicks in and weekends tend to be your only chance to hang out and do fun stuff. Again, my experience only.

Oct 02, 2017 at 10:29 AM

BSPhotog
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Kids make things messy, in so many ways. We've got a second small one (3mo, plus the 3.5yo) and it definitely adds to difficulty with scheduling and planning...and getting anything done really. If you have family close by that you can trust to be reliable, that's a great start. A hired second is another great and logical consideration. With both you and your wife shooting, I think it is incredibly important to have a few levels of contingency plans in place.

Our kids are the reason that I don't have a regular job. This gig gives me the flexibility to handle primary care of our children (one in preschool now, but the other quite needy still) during the day during the week. Consequentially, shoot a lot less than I otherwise would like. Editing takes longer, I make less money, and I don't feel like I'm building as strong of a business. On the other hand, I get to see my kids more and we aren't paying a stranger to raise them. It is hard to find the right fit and solution until you just try something, in my experience.

Congratulations on the upcoming changes for your family. It is equal parts rewarding and exhausting

Oct 02, 2017 at 10:33 AM

FrancisK7
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Actual business-parenting tips:

-We added 4h coverage packages to our pricing. Before I only wanted to do 6h or more as I felt taking small coverages in Summer meant I lost too much potential money. The 4h package is rarely booked but when they happen (2 or 3 sprinkled through the Summer) it's a welcomed break.

-We increased pricing by 35% which results in less hours per year but more or same amount of money. We used to do a lot of 10-12h weddings because we were more affordable. Now 8h mostly and some 10h. This means we get to spend all morning with our son as we often start working around noon-1PM. It makes a huge difference on our mojo when we get to spend the entire morning with him.

-All in-person consultations are in our home/studio space. Deliveries the same. Otherwise we Skype and mail. No more time wasted driving around.

-Engagement sessions are a huge time hog. It kills me because I love e-sessions for the relationship building it affords with the couple but 15-30 sessions on top of the weddings and everything else was just too much. I re-structured my packages and increased my pricing so that if I have to do them they earn me a lot more money. It's still included in some packages but only the top 2 tiers.

-The first year while your wife is on parental leave it will be easier to adjust. The first six months theyre static and all they do is eat, sleep and poop so its not a big logistical challenge. Once they start crawling and walking the anties are up and the game changes. When your wife goes back to work that is another difficult 2-3 weeks to adapt to. Then when daycare starts and the routines sets in I like to edit mornings and afternoons so that when I pickup our son at daycare I can spend all my time with him.

All-in-all working from home and being a business owner has great synergy with being a father if you're willing to make a few changes.

Oct 02, 2017 at 10:42 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

FrancisK7 wrote:
Actual business-parenting tips:

-We added 4h coverage packages to our pricing. Before I only wanted to do 6h or more as I felt taking small coverages in Summer meant I lost too much potential money. The 4h package is rarely booked but when they happen (2 or 3 sprinkled through the Summer) it's a welcomed break.

-We increased pricing by 35% which results in less hours per year but more or same amount of money. We used to do a lot of 10-12h weddings because we were more affordable. Now 8h mostly and some 10h. This means we get to spend all...Show more →
Absolutely agree. I'm still shooting for a living, just shooting different stuff now. I still work out of the home, but generally work Mon-Fri now, which is perfect since those are the days my kid is in school. And then all of us are off on weekends. It's been an amazing change for us. And then just wait until your kid gets their driving license (like mine just did - it'll happen before you know it!). Removing taxi service duties from my job responsibilities just gave me back a good 90+ minutes of my day!

Oct 02, 2017 at 11:23 AM

FrancisK7
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Also, if you do bridal shows, take the baby at your booth, they're super potent bride magnets.

I booked at least a wedding or two because of him.

Oct 02, 2017 at 02:23 PM

BSPhotog
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

FrancisK7 wrote:
Also, if you do bridal shows, take the baby at your booth, they're super potent bride magnets.

I booked at least a wedding or two because of him.

I'll rent out my kids for anyone else's booth. They're gingers, if that matters.

Oct 02, 2017 at 02:27 PM

ayjayy
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

FrancisK7 wrote:
Also, if you do bridal shows, take the baby at your booth, they're super potent bride magnets.

I booked at least a wedding or two because of him.

Dang, I totally should have done this!

I'm not part of a husband/wife team, but a father of 2 kids under 3. Biggest change is the amount of time and energy you will have to spend on your business will be drastically reduced.

You have to be more efficient with your time, yet at the same time you will have far less energy and many distractions which make it all but impossible....But you eventually adjust.

Oct 02, 2017 at 02:36 PM

FrancisK7
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

BSPhotog wrote:
They're gingers, if that matters.

Scientific evidence appears to indicate gingers are the most powerful magnets.

In the universe.

Oct 02, 2017 at 03:14 PM

LeeSimms
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

I took a break from weddings from 1997-2004. Had a regular job and my freelance work (creative audio editor/producer) had me working from home so I was always available. In 2004, the kids were old enough and more involved with friends. While she runs our business now, at the time my wife would just pitch in with occasional lightstick studio so she was able to be at the house. In 2009, my daughter became my 2nd shooter (age 13) and my son started doing lighting in 2011 (age 14).

If I knew then what I knew now, I would've done a lot of family sessions during those 7 years. Get a good system and it's less impactful on your personal life than weddings. No regrets, but I suffer with hindsight like everyone else.

Congrats on more little feet. Losing you mind to find you soul.

Edited on Oct 02, 2017 at 03:25 PM · View previous versions

Oct 02, 2017 at 03:20 PM

FrancisK7
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

LeeSimms wrote:
If I knew then what I knew now, I would've done a lot of family sessions during those 7 years. Get a good system and it's less impactful on your personal life than weddings.

I am speeding up the garage conversion to a studio for this Fall. Because next year we're slowly going to start the family session train and get it to full steam in a couple of months as we establish the system.

So much easier when they come to you and the model is much more easily scaled compared to weddings. There are just so many Saturdays, and I don't see myself doing more wedding than I do now (15-20/year) so family sessions will bring in the difference.

Oct 02, 2017 at 03:23 PM

level1photog
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Congrats! I think it's all depends on how much family support you have will determine how much load you can carry.

Me and my wife both have full time job so the only thing my wife helped me is culling the weddings and I just edit. I usually take care of the kids on weekday while editing, and she take care on the weekend when I have a wedding. If this a full time job for you, you can asked her to handle administrative stuff like customer service, client meeting, culling, blogging etc.

We are lucky that we have grandparents and aunt/uncle to help us, but I want to capped 10 weddings/year (maybe less) to spend more time with kids. After Las Vegas incident and working in a hospital environment where you see alot of 30s something with cancer, I realized the money isn't everything.

Oct 04, 2017 at 05:04 PM

nagoc50
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

H&W team here, both have other work but I'd say we are full time photographers in season and part time out of season. Fortunate to have other jobs that are flexible in that regard. Congratulations on your growing family.
Over time, it forced us to be much more efficient (and ultimately more profitable). We outsourced our editing -- I would consider that first of all. Cut engagement sessions from collections. We now make money on them because the clients are invested in the session and not just doing it for the sake of doing it. We added In person sales. I would rather invest a few hours of client time on an ordering session compared to online album review/revision. It's easier for us and much more proitable. We really just streamlined things to where we are either shooting or talking to people.

Oct 05, 2017 at 09:01 AM

IrishDino
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

I’ve definitely been working hard on removing the fluff from my offerings. We’re essentially a shoot-and-burn business and have been from the start. No albums, no prints, no extras.

After thinking about this more, I’m going to rebrand and just focus on smaller weddings that I can tackle myself. I enjoy shooting weddings, but around here, that standard timeline/expectation is to have a 4 hour photoshoot in-between the ceremony and reception and I just can’t do it anymore; it’s burnt me out.

Second shooters around here aren't that great or the most reliable, so going the second shooter route is more trouble than it's worth.

Oct 05, 2017 at 09:51 AM

JohnnyArguedas
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Congratulations!!! There's lots of great advice here already.

We're a H&W team, and we consider ourselves both first shooters. While my wife was pregnant I hired a few good second shooters (which meant I paid them really well) to cover for a few weddings when we were close to the due date. We both have full-time jobs as well since we had recently moved to a new state, so we cut down our bookings by a lot in order to not be completely overwhelmed. Our daughter is now 15 months old and we're just now thinking about ramping up our photography once more. My wife was laid off, which was the impetus for her to create and spearhead a separate brand for families. She loves it, and I intend for that to be our main brand while we take weddings whenever we like.

There's a lot of juggling involved, but as long as you communicate, be realistic in your goals (it's crazy how much less time you have once your little one is running around getting into trouble), and don't burn yourself out you can find a plan that works for your family.

Oct 05, 2017 at 10:44 AM

hardlyboring
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Congrats man!
We have a 10 month old that wasn't part of our life plan (although we enjoy him now

)
We never really changed anything. Honestly as long as she can handle working through the pregnancy you will be fine. It is way easier with a pregnant wife along that is for sure....not easy for her but people will literally do anything for you. They take much better care of you.
After he was born we just found good babysitters and also employ our parents to babysit for weddings. It is often cheaper for us to fly a grandparent in to watch our little guy because babysitters can get expensive.
Really the biggest thing is just finding a rhythm that suits you guys. Everyone is different. With multiple kids it would be tough but with one baby it honestly is not really all that bad.
We have a babysitter come to the house 3x per week so that we can work at home and then do what I was talking about above for weddings.
It does complicate things but we still are shooting super long hours both at rehearsals and weddings. No change there.

I think a lot of times people get overwhelmed and don't want things to work out or get discouraged. It is another job you have to focus on. If you want it to work and are willing to put the time into figuring your schedule out and baby sitters etc. there is no reason anything has to change.

This month has been really hard for us. 5 weddings, 2 were back to back...rehearsal wedding rehearsal wedding where we were gone 12-14 hours each day. My mom watched our kid and all that was fine.
Your wife will have to work pumping into the wedding day schedule (if you decide to breastfeed) but once your kid is like 6 months+ they can have some real food so it makes it easier.

If you manage expectations with clients, do what you want, and work hard you'll be good to go.

Oct 05, 2017 at 11:52 AM

Michael Beard
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Congratulations man!!

I have no advice to add but my wife and I have also been shooting together since 2012- we don't have kids yet, but the way a child will impact the way we run our business is something we discuss often.

Keep us updated!

Oct 05, 2017 at 01:35 PM

Lanny Mann
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Husband/Wife Teams and Newborns

Welcome to the jungle, ZachOly!

There's been so much great advice offered here already, so I'll just add my 2 cents of encouragement. There's no right path. No wrong path. For Erika and me, we didn't even start to build our wedding photography business until Madelyn (our first of two) came along. It was like, "holy shit… we better build a business!" Probably not the best timing… but we made it work. Contrary to you and your wife, Erika and I have always been a 50/50 team (no primary/secondary shooter, so to speak)… so for us, we never really had the option of bringing in alternate shooters (unless we drastically changed our business plan). If that's an option for you guys, it probably makes a lot of business sense. But just know that, if you want to make it work… you can. And just know that it's going to get really hard, and then easier and easier as they grow. For us, the challenges have been many… but the rewards of autonomy and life experience have been worth it.

Good luck and soak it up! If you ever wanna chat, just me a PM me.

ZachOly wrote:
My wife and I have been shooting weddings together since 2012. I've been the primary shooter with everything in my name, and my wife has been the assistant "plus" who takes care of setting up family formals (etc) and can second shoot in a pinch.

We're expecting our first child in November and to be quite honest, I have no idea how it will impact our business.

I've been thinking about hiring a second shooter to tag along for weddings. I've been thinking about dropping the kid off at his grandparents for 4 hours while we tackle the ceremony and...Show more →

Oct 05, 2017 at 09:25 PM

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